嫉妒

• Pinyin: jí dù
• Hanzi breakdown: 嫉 = 女 + 疾 (woman + disease — resentment of others' good fortune); 妒 = 女 + 户 (woman + door — jealousy)

Meaning

To be jealous of; to envy. Refers to resentment or ill will toward someone who has something one desires.

Carries a negative connotation stronger than 羡慕 (admire/envy). 嫉妒 implies destructive feelings, while 羡慕 is more neutral. Used in psychology, literature, and daily discourse.

Examples

1. 她对同事的晋升感到嫉妒，心情久久不能平静。 She felt jealous about her coworker’s promotion and couldn’t calm down for a long time.
2. 嫉妒是人类情感中最具破坏性的情绪之一。 Jealousy is one of the most destructive human emotions.
3. 他的成功引来了不少人的嫉妒与非议。 His success drew a lot of jealousy and criticism.

Usage Guide

Context: psychology, relationships, workplace

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 心理学研究表明，长期压抑的嫉妒情绪如果得不到适当疏导，会逐渐演变为对他人成功的系统性贬低，并对当事人的自我评价造成深远的负面影响。(Psychological research indicates that chronically suppressed jealousy, if not properly channelled, gradually develops into a systematic belittling of others' successes and exerts a far-reaching negative impact on the individual's self-evaluation.)
• 职场中的嫉妒心理往往源于对有限晋升资源的激烈竞争，管理者应通过透明的绩效评估机制加以疏解，而非任其累积发酵。(Jealousy in the workplace often stems from fierce competition for limited promotion opportunities; managers should alleviate it through transparent performance evaluation mechanisms rather than allowing it to accumulate and ferment.)

Don't Say

• 我嫉妒你的才华 — while grammatically possible, 羡慕 is more natural for admiration of ability; reserve 嫉妒 for resentment-tinged envy

Origin & History

嫉 (resent others' superiority) + 妒 (jealous of others' advantage)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal